Dear Editor,
Public Safety and Security is not a privilege, but a Constitutional Right of every Guyanese. And it is the constitutional responsibility of the State to protect citizens from all forms of danger and threats to their life and property. When Guyanese pay taxes, they have honoured their side of the social contract. When the State fails to provide safety and security to its citizen it has effectively abandoned its constitutional duty.
It is a national disrespect to tell the People of Guyana that there is a 21 percent decrease in crime when almost every single day someone is losing their life. As a Social Scientist, I understand and respect the role of science in policy, but common sense must also guide our decisions. Even if we disagree with the statistics, we should all be outraged if one child, father or mother is taken from their families to senseless killing or one family is traumatized from banditry. Likewise, we must all be outraged if one business is robbed, vandalized or forced to close its doors because it cannot afford to pay for its own security.
When families cannot sleep in their homes at night, it does not matter whether the crime rate is 21 percent lower or 0.5 percent higher than last year. Threats to people’s lives and the destruction of property should command the immediate and aggressive attention of lawmakers who have the responsibility to ensure the rights of all citizens are protected. I say, lawmakers because I am mindful that the police force can only work with the resources they have and under the guidance of lawmakers.
I commend the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) for its initiative to step out of the norm and denounce such disrespect for human life and call on lawmakers to take immediate action to return communities to a place where people can pursue their happiness and live peacefully with their families. However, its proposed initiative to remove taxes for security equipment is colossally misguided. Requesting tax exemptions for security equipment might afford businesses to invest in better security systems to protect commercial properties. But focusing on businesses instead of your consumers – who are ordinary families – is like “protecting the DJ instead of the people at the party when someone screams fire.” Before long there is not a party. If we continue along this path, there will be no purpose of opening businesses. GCCI should also recognize that calling for tax exemptions on security equipment does nothing to give investors hope and confidence that Guyana is still an economy worthy of their investment. The Chamber should use the opportunity to mobilize support and call on the government to employ the full force of the police and the military if necessary to restore peace and security in the country, even if this means declaring a “State of National Emergency.”
If families cannot feel safe in their homes, children cannot sleep and go to school without fearing for their lives and businesses cannot open doors without worrying about where bandits and robbers might come from, we are not honouring our responsibility as a sovereign nation and democracy to protect the People of Guyana. This is the single most important priority of the Government. Having low wages and losing your job is one thing, but putting the lives of ordinary Guyanese in harm’s way as they struggle to make ends meet for their families is unprecedented and unacceptable.
Yours faithfully,
Dhanraj Singh
Economist
